Advocacy & Collaborating with the USCCB Committee on the Catechism

The ACP has been in an ongoing conversation with the USCCB Subcommittee on the Catechism which is responsible for how the Catechism is used in curricula and catechetical resources throughout the United States.

Led by vice president Mike Raffio, a work group of representatives from Loyola Press, Our Sunday Visitor, Pflaum Publishing Group, RCL Benziger, Saint Mary's Press, Sophia Institute, Veritas, and William H. Sadlier met to discuss the publishers' concerns regarding the evolution of the conformity review process. The group then expressed their concerns and suggestions to Bishop Frank Caggiano, Chairman of the Subcommittee, prior to a meeting of publishers and the Subcommittee.

Here are notes from the latest work between the ACP work group and the Subcommittee.

• Bishop Caggiano announced that our concerns had been heard and that there would not be a "pause" in the conformity review process as a new method was instituted.
• The subcommittee's expedited review process includes the following.
  • Reducing the reviewers from three to one
  • Publisher responsibility for payment to reviewers
  • Maximum three month process (reduced from 9+ months.)
• Bishops are open to expanding the initial reviewer pool at a later date.
• The subcommittee is currently in the process of developing an institute for reviewers and publishers. The institute’s goal will be to train reviewers, editors and others so that catechetical materials will more consistently achieve conformity with the Catechism.
• An update is expected in November 2019 and the next meeting of publishers and the Subcommittee will be held at the 2020 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress.